A veterans group in Harlingen is getting a new home after years of dealing with a building in disrepair.

VFW Post 2410 is moving forward with construction on a new building, set to start in two weeks following a groundbreaking held on Monday, May 11.

The 70-year-old building on Whalen Road near Business 77 has faced years of electrical, sewage, and structural problems. A pipe burst during the February 2021 freeze, causing water damage inside the building.

The project costs $2.5 million. A grant with help from Rep. Vicente Gonzalez covers $850,000. Cameron County provided a $150,000 grant, and Noble Construction raised more than $1 million.

Noble Construction is also helping raise the remaining $300,000 for furniture and equipment.

“We still to this day can't believe that it really is happening,” VFW Post 2410 member Sandy Schreiber said.

Schreiber said the building has meant a great deal to veterans over the years. 

This was the place where it was safe; there was a comfort that was available,” Schreiber, a Vietnam War veteran and Brownsville native, said.

Rene Capistran, Noble president and CEO, said he saw a Channel 5 News story about the damage that aired in 2022 and knew the group had to do something.

Capistran owns a local construction company and said repairing the building was going to cost too much.

“When I thought it was just coming to patch a roof, boy was I in for a surprise,” Capistran said, adding that raising funds has not been easy.

Schreiber said they want the space to be available for community activities and events.